Habits of Internet users and usefulness of websites in Spanish for health education

World Hosp Health Serv. 2008;44(1):30-5.

Abstract

Objective: To analyse whether websites in Spanish are an adequate medium to be self-informed considering the surfing styles of Internet users.

Methods: In a real context 225 subjects searched for information on the Net to answer a series of questions on two diseases and one therapeutic technique. Also, they informed their habits when using Internet.

Results: Slightly more than the half of the questions were correctly answered. To find information, they visited more than 70 different pages in all cases. A major number of websites visited was not related with a better knowledge of treatment or illness (p>0.05).

Conclusions: When health professionals recommend a website to a patient (web prescription) they must consider both, the quality of the information, and the style for surfing on the Net.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Female
  • Health Education / methods*
  • Humans
  • Internet / statistics & numerical data*
  • Male
  • Spain
  • Surveys and Questionnaires